Date: Saturday, 14 February 2026Location: Valley Parade
The rain had stopped just before kickoff, but Valley Parade still wore the damp smell of soaked concrete and old winter. Steam curled from players' shoulders in the pre-match lineups, boots tapping lightly in place, nervous energy humming beneath the floodlights.
Jake stood just outside the dugout, coat zipped to his throat, hands buried deep in his pockets. Not out of habit—but because the final week before Europe wasn't just tactical. It was psychological. Every touch mattered now. Every rhythm set tonight would echo five nights later under different floodlights and foreign pressure.
Middlesbrough lined up across the halfway with the same look he'd seen in their last three matches—tight lines, compact middle, trigger-happy press when space appeared. Jake had seen their numbers. Third in the league for forced turnovers. Second for fouls in transition. First for middle-third recoveries.
